Jesus Is Born Again in 1999
"Which of you does not leave the ninety-nine and go after the ane?" Luke fifteen:iv
Not long agone, a popular song was on Christian radio singing most how Jesus leaves the 99 to get afterwards the 1. Why would Jesus do that? Why would He leave 99 skilful sheep to go later on one who is clearly belligerent? Did He ever really do that?
The parable of the lost sheep isn't merely a story. The Bible tells us of several occasions when Jesus often left His "flock" to chase after one gone astray. Let's have a look at a few examples.
The Life of a Shepherd
In Luke 15, Jesus tells a grouping of tax collectors and sinners a serial of stories, or parables, about finding something that was lost. It begins with the parable of the sheep.
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and become after the ane which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found information technology, he lays information technology on his shoulders, rejoicing." Luke 15:4-5
A shepherd in the Middle East was non an independent farmer. He worked for a main who expected his sheep to exist well-tended. If one wandered off, the shepherd had no choice but to go subsequently it.
Before he left, the shepherd would surroundings the flock with piles of sticks and rocks to give the sheep a sense of boundaries. And believe it or not, the sheep typically stayed put. Then, the shepherd would go afterward the one sheep that was lost.
He would take his shepherd's staff with him. The top of the staff had a curled stop that he used to wrap around the sheep's horns to help pry it free from bushes or pull it up out of a pigsty. He would then take the sheep back to the flock where he would use the rod, or handle, of the staff to carry a headcount of all the sheep. The shepherd was very diligent in making sure all the sheep were with him in his care.
"Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4
Related Article: What Practice the Staff and Rod Actually Hateful?
Pause a Leg
The shepherd would practice whatever it took to keep his sheep with him. And then, if the same sheep tended to wander off, the shepherd would leave the flock, detect the misbehaving sheep, and break its leg. Yes, you read that correct.
The shepherd needed to teach the sheep a lesson. It wasn't a lesson of penalty, but rather one of obedience. The sheep needed to realize it needed the shepherd'due south intendance. It needed to learn that wandering abroad was very unsafe, and staying with the shepherd would ensure its protection.
Then, over the weeks of healing, the shepherd would deport the sheep every mean solar day on his shoulders, gently caring for the sheep until it could walk again. As a event, a bail grew. The sheep developed a caring relationship with the shepherd, and it learned to stay with him.
Though Jesus based His story on actual shepherd practices, the theme of the story is still truthful.
God isn't waiting for you to come to Him. He'due south willing to have the initiative and become subsequently you wherever y'all are. He's not waiting for you to render to the flock on your ain, even if you lot might. God is already chasing you with His love and grace, and He won't cease until He finds you and rescues you.
He might allow certain unpleasant circumstances to happen to y'all to get your attention, perchance even allow a broken bone. He does this and then you would understand your need for His loving care. Jesus desperately wants you to abound a relationship with Him.
You can be sure Jesus will do annihilation to detect you and to get your attending.
Braving the Storm
Some of united states may have already experienced God'due south beloved like the sheep and its shepherd. We know it's non just words. Still, it seems more spiritual than bodily sometimes. Yet, during His time on the globe, Jesus often went after a "lost sheep." Let's look at one example in the book of Luke.
Shortly after preaching to a throng of people, Jesus told His disciples to board a boat and cross the Sea of Galilee.
"Now information technology happened, on a certain day, that [Jesus] got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, 'Let u.s.a. cross over to the other side of the lake." Luke eight:22; Matthew viii:24-27
Tired from preaching all day, out of the blue, Jesus tells His disciples information technology's fourth dimension to go across the Sea of Galilee to a place chosen Decapolis. This area was widely known for its paganism. The people there despised the Jews. Merely Jesus said He wanted to go there.
The Bible doesn't tell us the disciples' reactions, but it's rather safe to assume they had no idea what Jesus was upwards to. Why would He want them to get to Decapolis of all places? And why so late in the day?
It wasn't an easy trip. A storm had all of a sudden broken out every bit the disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee.
"And they came to Him and awoke Him, proverb, 'Main, Master, we are perishing!' And so He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the h2o. And they ceased, and there was a calm. Simply He said to them, 'Where is your organized religion?'" (v24-25)
Such storms were common in certain times of the yr, and Jesus knew it. However He was willing to exercise whatever it took to find His 1 missing sheep. When they reached the shore, His sheep was in worse shape than one might think.
A Lost Sheep in Decapolis
"And when He stepped out on the land, at that place met Him a sure man from the city who had demons for a long fourth dimension. And he wore no clothes, nor did he alive in a house just in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down earlier Him, and with a loud voice, said, 'What take I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg Yous, exercise not torment me!'" Luke 8:27-28
You may call up this human who was filled with demons. They called themselves "Legion" because there were so many of them. Jesus commanded the demons to get out the man. Then, He bandage them into a group of pigs nearby that ran off a cliff and into the ocean below (v33). With that, Jesus completely restored the homo'south body and mind.
Jesus left the 99, the crowds of people begging to hear Him preach back in Israel, to chase subsequently this one man who, for years, wandered the cave tombs naked and out of his heed. But Jesus went subsequently him. Through sea and storm, He refused to leave His sheep alone to fend for himself.
A Sheep in Samaria
Early on in Jesus' ministry, He and His disciples left Jerusalem and headed back to Cana in Galilee. They could have taken several roads, but Jesus told them they were going to use the one that went through Samaria. The disciples did not like the plan. Though they knew the route through Samaria was the shortest one, they did not want to go through that area if they didn't have to.
If you're not aware, the Jews loathed the Samaritans. The Samaritans were considered filthy, rebellious Jews from the northern kingdom of Israel. They had married Canaanites, and some engaged in idol worship. Merely the "real" Jews, the ones who strictly followed Moses' Law, were in the southern kingdom of Judea. They were the good guys, equally far as they were concerned. Information technology was racism before the word even existed.
The disciples' misgivings did not cease Jesus. In fact, He said He needed to go through Samaria (John iv:4). Why? Because a certain woman was at that place who Jesus needed to see.
This is the famous story of the woman at the well. The woman had married so many times the other women shunned her to the indicate she had to draw water at midday instead of during the cool forenoon hours. She believed in God, but in addition to her depression public standing, she also felt God had rejected her just for beingness Samaritan. She was tired, poor, and she battled low.
Just then one day, Jesus sabbatum next to the well and asked for a potable. Within minutes, she was crying and screaming her way back to boondocks to tell everyone she had but met the Messiah. Her life was forever changed.
It's a beautiful story. If you've never seen a cinematic representation of it, I highly encourage yous to sentry The Chosen: Episode eight on YouTube. Get your tissues ready!
Hither over again, Jesus has left the crowds—the 99—to go subsequently the one lost sheep. Yeah, He was already planning to walk 70 miles back to Cana, merely He took a specific side trip to find this one adult female.
Searching for Disciples
Throughout the Gospels, we find instances of Jesus healing the sick, bullheaded, and deaf. Many times, it's the person seeking out Jesus. People like the bleeding woman, Zacchaeus, Jairus, the synagogue leader, and others. But information technology didn't mean Jesus wasn't aware of those who had left the flock and gone their own way.
A swell example of this is when Jesus met His soon-to-be disciple, Matthew. As you may know, Matthew was a tax collector. He worked for the Roman government. Not merely that, simply he would as well often need a little extra from the people to pad his life of luxury. Most taxation collectors did.
Ane day, Matthew was working in his office, collecting the taxes when Jesus walked by. Of course, it was no accident that Jesus just happened to be walking by. He knew Jerusalem inside and out. But He chose that particular street that day so that He could meet Matthew.
"Every bit Jesus passed on from at that place, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the revenue enhancement collector's role. And He said to him, 'Follow Me.' So [Matthew] arose and followed him." Matthew ix:9
Jesus purposely walked by Matthew'south part to grab his eye and say, "Follow Me." Jesus already knew what was in Matthew'south middle. He knew that despite Matthew'southward occupation, he would be a skillful disciple, one who could readily share the Practiced News with the Jews one day.
Jesus once again rescued i of His lost sheep.
Nosotros could say Jesus sought out each of His disciples- Peter, John, Andrew, Thomas, all of them. What's important to annotation is that Jesus specifically searched for them, and He rescued each of them from a life devoid of truthful salvation. These were not men possessed or horribly oppressed. They were ordinary people just going about their business.
Just and so they met Jesus. The Shepherd had come, and He called each of them back to the flock. It's no wonder Matthew iv:xx records Peter and Andrew immediately dropping their fishing nets to follow Him.
Jesus Loves His Sheep
The same nighttime he met Jesus, Matthew threw a big party and invited many other taxation collectors to encounter Jesus and hear Him speak. The Pharisees saw what was going on, and they were astonished.
"And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Instructor swallow with tax collectors and sinners?" (v11)
Jesus' reply was spot on.
"When Jesus heard that, He said to them, 'Those who are well take no need of a doc, just those who are ill. I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, simply sinners, to repentance.'" (v12-13)
Jesus' response sums up the very reason He leaves the 99 to get after just i sheep. He knows His sheep need Him. And He's willing to exercise whatever it takes—walk forty miles, take a detour through the wrong function of town, or even brave a horrible tempest in a boat.
He did it for the possessed man, the woman at the well, Matthew and the other disciples, and He'll practise it for you.
If y'all're feeling lost and away from God, yous can be sure He is searching for you. He'll get to any lengths to find you. The Shepherd wants to rescue you with His grace and love. He has His rod and staff gear up to pb you back home. All you have to do is let Him.
Is that you today? Are you ready to respond to Jesus' dearest for you? If you lot do, just take hold of hold of His staff. He'll get you lot out of that pit. He'll untangle you from the bushes. He'll calm the storms and lead you to a life of eternal dearest. All you need to do is trust Him.
He loves you with an everlasting love, and He'll become to any lengths to prove it.
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